Silly as it may sound, there are few things in life, and even fewer in fashion, that are predictably unpredictable but Viktor & Rolf’s collections are definitely one of them. Never ones to shy away from a spectacle, this season’s showing began with a drawbridge lowering to reveal an army of models donning medieval and armorial looks for the ‘crusade for beauty’ themed collection.

Red painted faces aside, the collection’s harshly navigated pleats and expert tailoring demonstrated the expertise for which the pair is renowned. Chameleon collars were shown alongside sunburst shouldered jackets and exaggerated silhouettes that walked the line between futuristic and just plain fanciful. The raw quality of the textiles is what kept it from becoming too much of a spectacle with warm knits and pleats sewn from strips of leather and wool.

Given that past seasons have been filled with lighting rigs and impossible clogs or built in bedding, this was a remarkably wearable presentation that will surely garner fans both on and of the editorial pages.